A blackhead begins deep inside a single pore on the skin. Each pore is connected to a tiny hair follicle and an oil producing gland that releases sebum onto the surface. Sebum normally keeps the skin soft, but when the pore becomes crowded with dead skin cells, the opening becomes narrow. This slows the movement of sebum and creates a small plug inside the follicle. The plug is made of trapped oil and compacted cells that stack up gradually. As the blockage grows, the top of the plug reaches the